Los Angeles Kings Acquire Schenn, Lecavalier From Flyers
By Jeff Henning
The Los Angeles Kings have wasted absolutely no time in making the most out of 2016, as it was reported today that the team has acquired veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Philadelphia Flyers. Going back to Philadelphia will be youngster Jordan Weal, we’ll talk about him later, and a 3rd round pick. Further pushing the narrative that the Kings are the “West Coast Flyers,” this trade is interesting on a number of different levels.
First, Vincent Lecavalier’s contract.
If you had any inclination as to why the Flyers are where they are, look no further than this horrendous contract. Back in 2013, when Lecavalier was a free agent, news outlets may have said something to the effect of ‘The Flyers have won the Lecavalier sweepstakes.’ Lets make one thing clear, this was not a contest you particularly wanted to win. At that time, Lecavalier was 33 years old and clearly on the decline from his stellar career in Tampa Bay. Lecavalier had seen a steady decline in his point production since 2009-2010, yet the Flyers were more than willing to sign him to an astronomical 5 year/ 22 million dollar contract. Since signing in Philly, Lecavalier has managed to score 58 points in 133 games spread across 3 seasons.
Schenn will provide the already stout King’s defense with even more experienced depth
There’s no way the Kings were in a position to acquire diminishing players unless there was a big catch. It’s not like the Kings had a ton of cap space to burn and Lecavalier’s cap hit is 4.5 million, not to mention Schenn comes in at 3.6 million. (Which by the way, Luke Schenn was the guy the Flyers traded straight up for James Van Riemsdyk) It appears that in this trade, the Flyers will retain 50% of both salaries. That fact alone makes this trade a low risk deal for the Kings. Instead of paying over 4 million just for Lecavalier, the Kings will only be on the hook for just over 4 million for the pair of skaters. It also wouldn’t surprise me if the Kings were also informed that Lecavalier intends to hang ‘em up at the end of the season.
Other than a few snide comments, I haven’t talked much about Luke Schenn. While I don’t think he’s any kind of reliable top 4 pairing defenseman, if you’re the L.A. Kings, having a guy like Schenn on the 3rd pairing is quite enticing. Schenn will provide the already stout King’s defense with even more experienced depth, which is something every contender covets come playoff time. Also, as previously mentioned, his contract is up at the end of the season, and unless he’d be willing to take a huge pay cut, he’ll find another home on UFA market.
Back to Jordan Weal. While he hasn’t managed to score a point in 10 games with the Kings this season, the kid has absolutely torn up the AHL. His past two seasons playing with Manchester, Weal scored 139 points in 149 games played. Weal was also the leading scorer in last year’s Calder Cup Playoffs, posting 22 points in 19 games. There’s no doubt that this kid has ability, but perhaps the Kings felt he wasn’t in a the right position to help them this year.
Not that they needed it but Lecavalier, if nothing else, will provide another championship presence in a locker room already full of winners. While there’s no reason to expect huge production from either of these guys, they can serve as extremely capable depth players that make the Kings roster that much more complete. Lecavalier has been listed as questionable this week with some sort of back ailment so it will remain to be scene when he takes the ice in a Kings sweater. Schenn will more than likely be plugged into the lineup as soon as he arrives.